Arms of the Kami no Kohakugawa
by LadyRainStarDragon
Summary: Formerly 'Sweat,' this collection of stories features the residents of the Kohaku River Shrine performing their duties and rituals. Intended to be more serious than my other stuff, but humor still sneaks in. Possessions, Exorcisms, Ghosts, Matsuri, Rite
1. Sweat, A Ritual Between East and West

Ritual Between East and West

Takes place the January before Kohaku returns to claim Chihiro.

'Rivers Never Die' actually ends the night of his return to a 21 year old Chihiro. 'Rivers Keep Flowing' picks up at the end of that, and this is meant to be a tie in with those. Originally this was meant to be a collection of stories,however this has turned into a side story in its own right. Other stories that one may want to read to help clear up any placement problems (such as why is Chihiro an adult) are "Promise to Protect and Provide," "Underwater Savior," "Promise of a river," "Rivers Never Die" and the story collection "Courting the River Maid."

LadyRainStarDragon does not own "Spirited Away," Haku, Chihiro, or any characters thereof.

* * *

A thick mantle of white crystal lay heavy over the Shrine compound and encroaching forest, a heavy blanket for the sleeping earth. Meanwhile the still flowing river wore a co-ordinating cape of glassy ice along his banks, yet his central channel still flowed swift and cold. The very stars themselves looked like bits of ice flung high in the darkened sky, and restless spirits rode the winds that howled on by. 

Some were restless because they had been forgotten, others were those who had been murdered over the ages, unwilling yet to release a tenuous hold on an illusory life. Still others had awakened from bored sleep because of a new stirring of energy that wasforeign to the land. Practices of one certain person who had come to them over the vast and salty seas were a curiosity that they had never before witnessed.

This Shaman, being trained by her Ancestors themselves via vision and dream, had received permission from the Shrine Keeper and the Kami the Shrine was dedicated to in order to employ the ancient practices of her people. The river spirit himself had no problem with her wishes, as what she sought to do was so similar to human practices that had once been common here, yet had fallen by the wayside. These very same rituals would be beneficial for his own priestess as well, and so he had asked that his precious Chihiro be taken in as well.

Chihiro had been delighted when her friend BlowingWind had asked her if she would like to participate in the ritual. And so, the two women had constructed a wicker lodge twenty paces from the icy river and the little pool that remained clear of the choking ice by the intervention of the river lord. Over the framework consisting of the twelve sacred willow shoots that formed symbolically the rib cage of the Great Spirit, they had stretched a canvas cover, lacking the buffalo or deer skins that had once been used on the plains of Northern America for the sacred sweat house.

Ryu and Ten had been attracted by the new stirring of energy as the women had begun planning for this ceremonial cleansing of body and soul. When they had been told about what BlowingWind was planning, and how long it had been since she had been in the Sweat Lodge, they were more than happy to offer their services to bring in the heated rocks that had been described, as well as the buckets of water. While the plan was still in the early stages, the pair had gone to ask the local mountain god for permission to gather appropriate rocks, which had been gladly granted. Tatsu had been intrigued as well.

Leaving her friend outside, BlowingWind took the pipe of her ancestors into the lodge, crawling around sun-wise to the west. There she appealed to Grandmother Earth, Grandfather Sky, and the Great Spirit for their help, to make her and her friend pure so that they could continue to help their people. With sage, cedar, and sweet-grass the young Shaman purified the lodge, driving any evil away and inviting in good things, and tobacco was offered to these as well as the things that the local spirits were more accustomed to. Continuing sun-wise, she brought her pipe with her to exit, and it was placed on an earthen mound to wait.

With great care before the temporary building, BlowingWind smudged herself and her friend with the smoke of sage, and gave a gift of her precious tobacco for the spirits. Wearing only their bathing suits and white towels wrapped over those, they left behind their pure white yukatas that they had been wearing to keep warm while they finished the preparations. Close to the Earth, on her hands and knees like a baby, the Apache led the Asian within and sun-wise around the pit for the Stone People, who were nearly ready from the fire pit outside for entry. Ryu and Ten had been tending the fire carefully, cooking the stones for at least three hours so that they glowed with activated heat. BlowingWind herself sat by the door flap in the east, prayerful and still within herself andglad of the help from the spirits that were curious about the rituals of her ancestors. Chihiro, as the representative and channel of the local power being and priestess of the grounds the building had been allowed to use sat in the honor position opposite the door in the west.

At last, Ten began carefully placing the glowing Stone People in the pit at the center, seven in all, carrying them with the help of stag's antlers that had mysteriously appeared in BlowingWind's medicine bundle with the first snow. Chihiro, who did as her friend instructed her, swept the welcomed Elders with a braid of sweet-grass and she had been instructed before they had even began construction of the lodge. BlowingWind sprinkled cedar chips with great care after. Outside, Ryu beat out a slow heartbeat on his drum when Ten finally placed the bucket of river water inside. A moment later, the spirit of the sacred spring up the river handed her the pipe with a bow so common to his own people, filled with respect at the power that lay quietly in the object. Reverently, recognizing the power of this ceremony, he closed the flap.

BlowingWind's pipe, carefully carved by one of her distant ancestors, had been left to her care by her father. With great reverence did she use the sacred smoke and send her prayers in the four directions as well as to Grandmother Earth and Grandfather Sky. Tendrils and puffs of the gray substance glowed with power as they floated in the air, strangely visible even though the eyes surely would not have been able to see in the darkness. When done, she passed it to her friend, who did as she had just seen, although she ended up coughing at the end after she had finished. The smoke of the tobacco and other herbs was not like the light rosewood or pine that her own spirit preferred. She felt his presence stirring around herself though, his essence present in the bucket of water with them, and soon the Nisou no Kohakugawa's lungs and throat eased.

The Shaman began to chant a prayer as she cast a bit of water upon the first round of Stone People that had come to visit them, and she honored them. The steam rose into the air, coiling about them in serpentine fashion, embracing the pair tightly in the nothingness. The only light was the glowing of the stones, and the air was heavy with their primordial heat. The imagination would not have to stretch very far to feel that an occupant were deep below the earth, heated by the volcanic heat and pressure of the earth above. Casting a little more water on the stones, hissing filled the air like a den of the snakes that legend told her clan was descended from. These snakes, when old and powerful enough, would grow into the great dragons of her land that most did not know about unless they studied the stories of the Americas diligently. It was intriguing how it could also be mistaken for the hissing of dragons, and both women wondered just how closely the snake and dragon species were intertwined.

The dry and scorching heat was no more, replaced by heat of a different kind, the scorching steam now filled the tiny space, condensing on the body, dripping down and burning away impurity in tiny rivers. Sweat rushed from every pore the women possessed, pouring out with every stored toxin and repressed emotion that ate away at body and soul. They let the sweat carry away the emotions that had been plaguing them for months, moaning low in relief that they would be able to concentrate on their duties again instead of other less pure thoughts.

Neither were mentally ready for what their bodies were telling them to do. Mistaking it for an impurity they had come in here to free themselves.

In the dark, she related the story of how in the first world, all had been dark, and then how the Great Spirit had lead her people up a ladder into the next world, where the sun was. In remembrance of this, when the people needed cleansing and rebirth, they would crawl into the lodge and remember when they lived under the earth.

Lifting a voice high and pure, BlowingWind sang her chant, and Chihiro joined in, not realizing that she knew the words, not questioning where it was coming from but allowing it to be.

Feelings dark and deep  
All that is Base, not Pure  
Created the Hillside Steep  
That at the base we were.

That which we Dare not  
To Acknowledge aloud  
Visions in the Mind Hot  
Even amongst the Crowd.

Steam Sends it all far away  
That which does not Serve  
Baseness Black can not stay  
Where Pure have their Nerve.

They called out for more stones after repeating the chant several times, and this time Ryu brought them in. One by one they glowed red as they came, and sparks flew with the brush of sweet-grass or sprinkle of cedar. Five Stone Elders had come in for the second round, and these brought Ancestor spirit guests with them for the two mystics. Clouds of the perfumed smoke rose to purify the air, and more spirits began to observe from outside. Ancient voices sang from within, some in the Apache language, others in Japanese, a few in a language that neither could understand. The pair inside felt the pressure rising around them, and when the flap closed again, they were certainly not alone. More of the Ancestors of the women filled the darkened womb, whispering to the two or singing in turn, imparting advice for the coming year. More steam curled through the air through the eternity of the round.

At last, the voices fell silent, and the flap opened again at their call, another five stones making their way in and receiving their welcome. Ten closed the flap after bringing in more water, and More water was used to fill the air with purifying steam as the humans sang their prayers. When their voices lowered again, they were awed to hear the rock people themselves whispering secrets to them. These mysteries were to be treasured, and the two women did not feel as guilty for feeling the things that they had. They were told of the Children of the Rainbow, how one day these sacred beings would walk the lands and bring love and healing to the beings who live in the Creation.

The voices fell silent, and at the end of the round, BlowingWind threw open the lodge flap. Sweet cool air blew in and around, soothing the nerves of the humans.

"How are you doing Chi?"

"Stunned. You?"

"Just wow. I didn't think anything like this would happen. I haven't been in a sweat since I was little, only six months before dad began on the Star Path."

"This isn't usual, is it?"

"I don't think so, not this pronounced. Drink water."

The trembling women drank greedily from the buckets to replenish what had been sweated out already. They had not kept track of how much they had been drinking between the rounds, but they definitely felt like they had been sweating rivers. They were tired from the spiritual exercise, but they felt so clean and pure, and their minds were at ease for the first time in a while.

Chihiro shivered a bit at the sensation of scales gently scraping her skin. Her deity was definitely with her, encouraging her to drink more water. She could feel herself at the gateway to the trance state that would render her memory of whatever happened next blank if she were to fall through it. Something was beginning to stir and awaken within her soul, and she could almost hear her kami's hisses and purrs coaxing it. The more the internal thing stirred, the tighter that she felt the invisible coils of his mitama clasp until she could almost imagine that he would possess her body as the stories and practices of other priestesses went with their own.

Two frowning male faces poked their heads in, one that was aligned with water drawing back a bit at first because of the heat still in the lodge. Their dark eyes took in the sodden forms hidden in the shadows, watching for signs that it was time to drag them out to keep them from pushing themselves too far. The strange voices that they had heard earlier made them nervous, but even odder to them were the spirits of children that were waiting patiently outside with them, clearly not native to the island, although there were many of the native children waiting as well.

"BlowingWind, how are you doing?"

"Fine Ryu. One more round and we'll be done."

"Good. We have a bunch of child spirits here who want to ask for purification. What do we tell them?"

"Let them come in. It is traditional for children to put their heads in and speak to Great Spirit."

So many children peeked in like the shy prairie paintbrushes that BlowingWind had not seen for a long time, then ran away giggling to disappear. At last, they were gone and the six remaining Stone Elders came in the lodge to the sweet-grass and cedar, and to song. The meeting of East and West sat in silence for this last round, their hearts expressing everything for them as the water became steam to soak them one last time. Seconds passed, minutes blurred, and then finally their contemplative and ecstatic trance was broken as the flap flew open on it's own.

Two lithe forms streaked through the night, leaping into the winter stream. All impurity had been left behind them to sift into the earth, for earth and water to deal with as was proper. After a moment, two dark heads popped out to trace the path of stars with their eyes before they got out to put on the offered robes. The women gazed deep in the water while they tied the robes shut.

"Energy flows both ways on any thread . . ."

"And even the profane is sacred if viewed while looking for Truth."

"Do you understand it?"

"No 'Wind. I don't."

The visiting spirits were gone, and no whispers rode the winds. The Shaman and the Priestess left the river behind as they silently made their way inside. At the river's edge, three dark males watched the humans, talking amongst themselves.

"I'm not certain now that we should have let them do that."

"They saw something, didn't they Kohakunushi? You had essence inside. Do you know what it was?"

"I only saw them, Ryu. Whatever vision they had, I was not granted the power to see."

"Maybe it is a good thing that you are almost done with the river."

"Thank kami for that Ten! I am getting sick of quashing uprisings just because Chihiro is human. Hopefully the challenges will stop after the claim is finished. If I have to listen to one more 300 year old spout off about how evil humans are I'll . . ."

At this juncture, both of the other dragons started making placating gestures. Chihiro was a sacred subject to him, and the last spirit that bad mouthed his priestess found himself stuck in a frozen water bubble on the top of Tatsu's mountain for a while. Actually, they were pretty sure he was still up there.

Both were very glad the water dragon would be able to spend more time with Chihiro soon. She had been getting really grumpy too.

* * *

Words 

Mitama - divided spirit. A kami is composed of two halves, the Aramitama and Nigimitama (further explanations can be found in some of my other stories). These had the ability to completely disengage from time to time, and even could be unrecognizable to the other if it had been done without the other half's knowledge. In addition, a kami is able to send innumerable bits of itself to wherever it has been properly called.

Both Native Americans and the early Japanese had sacred rituals that had to do with steam. I wanted to touch on that, but I didn't know enough about the Japanese ones. In a book on how steam was used in cultures all over the world, it was mentioned that it was practiced around Kyoto now, but had once been more widespread.

I based this on my knowledge of Native American Sweat Lodges, very interesting to take part in, and man will it purge you of any toxins your harbor anywhere in your body.

Rain's Replies

Jaded image - A kami is a very complex being, very interesting to research though.

Katsy Kat - I thought it was odd when I first came up with the idea, but as I researched, can you imagine my surprise to find it supported in Japanese mythology?

Mica - I love reading the reviews and finding out how everyone reacts. I'm glad that you have been enjoying the stories.

Neech - What do you think he's doing to her bras?

Thanks also to Jojo, Monchi, NitenGale and anybody I might have missed!


	2. Exorcism

Arms of the Kami

Exorcism

I don't own Spirited Away.

A few days after 'Sweat.' There won't be much romance in this string, this is the serious side of life at Kohakugawa Jinja.

* * *

Chihiro had just arrived at the rather shabby apartment building. It was no where near as nice as the one she used to live in. The dingy brown paint peeled, siding didn't look quite right, and the whole building had a dilapidated and neglected feel to it. It hadn't even been built by the same company, but a construction company of lesser repute. Still, it had been built where the river had once played in his sparkling hues, just like all the rest of the newer buildings.

There was something else about the building that set her on edge though. A dark and sinister presence lurked within, hiding and waiting for the dark to approach. Tendrils of the burdensome energy snaked towards her, searching to quench the light that burned inside of her, just like it had all of the others who lived in this particular complex.

Closing somber grey eyes that recalled the shade of the wildest thunderstorm, the young priestess drew a deep breath to return her stillness. There was nothing for her to fear, she was under the protection of a powerful kami, and her working partner was with her as well. The weight of two hands fell on her shoulder, only the touch was only that of one, and Chihiro slowly opened her eyes in her meditative state to turn her gaze upon the young priest.

The violet eyes regarded her carefully, and just behind them she could sense the presence of a pair of green eyes. His thick black hair looked like reined in midnight in its dragon tail, yet at the same time she could see the ghost of her kami's hair flowing free around him. Likewise, behind Chihiro's storming eyes, Kumiro could see the green eyes of Nigihayami Kohakunushi. He saw both her own chestnut hair upswept in her customary bindings and his lord's nighttime river running free behind her back. Normal people would only see the young priest and priestess themselves. However, their kami was currently possessing the pair with a mitama, or a small portion of himself.

"Any impressions Kumiro?"

"Its stronger than anything that you and I have dealt with so far, but not so strong as to call on your grandfather or the other pair for assistance."

"Let's go then."

They had been called here by one of the families living in the complex, the youngest child having fallen severely ill. The poor thing could not even get out of the bed by herself, and the rest of the building was suffering various stages of the same mysterious malaise. Kumiro led the way, his haori a blazing white in the sun while his hakama were a deep river-blue, shifting gently around him as he walked, contrasted greatly with Chihiro's own red ones worn specifically for this special ceremony. Kumiro carried a staff that he had been presented with, while Chihiro carried the catalpa bow and wore a quiver of hamaya A shapely and strong pale hand held the door for his partner to enter first after a quick scan.

Silently, the pair walked side by side down the hall, listening to the normal everyday noises of various homes surrounding them, as well as listening for any sounds that should not be present. The being possessing the building was an unknown to them, and there was no telling what it would do with their approach. A restless hiss sounded low in their interior ears, but it was the voice of their kami, tense and expectant as he stood guard over his shrine-keepers in this newly changed territory. Beneath their feet, the pair could feel the steady throb of the river's old course, the buried banks reacting to the power that had once been enfolding within them.

As they made their way through the dingy tunnel of dirtied white beneath the bare florescent bulbs that would glare come the fall of dark, they could sense the griminess growing ever more palpable. The various hidden kami of the people who lived in the building peeked through the doors, some curious, some grateful, and others resentfully.

"Some of the ancestors and family deities are being neglected it seems."

"Yes. The apartment in question is at the end of the hall on the top floor. From what I gather with the instruction that Ji-san left us, we will end up walking through the whole building to get to it, Kumiro."

"Maybe that is a good thing. We will have a better idea of the area that we are dealing with, instead of just mopping up a spot on a muddied floor."

They drew near to a stair at the end of the hall, and Kumiro went up first. If there were anything malicious in the stairwell, he would then bear the brunt of any attack. It was just as well. His main gift was in purification and banishment, a gift from his ancestors who were hoshi and taijiya. Chihiro could perform those tasks as well with the help of their kami, but her gifts seemed to be an unconditional love for all things and the gift of channeling. This is why the pair worked together so well. Chihiro was the mouthpiece of their kami, and with his protection she could safely relay the complaints or wishes of the other spirits. He himself provided the use of his muscles for the river lord. Thankfully, there was nothing remarkable about the stairway, either physically or psychically.

The next floor was the same as the first visually, although the guardian spirits on this floor ranged invisibly before the entrances to the individual apartments as they nodded in recognition of the two shrine-dwellers. The air was thicker and heavier, but nothing was visually amiss.

"Chihiro, your hair is standing on end again."

"Look in the mirror, 'fraidy cat."

'Would you two stop that? It is annoying. Far better to be on guard than to be hurt.'

"Sorry Lord."

Simultaneously the two young adults had whispered their reply to their kami, and they could sense his understanding. After all, he had dealt with stress in much the same way once. However, there was no way that Kohakunushi ever intended either to find out what he had been like as a younger kami.

The two now had their focus in the proper place, which was the matter at hand. Or, at least for a little bit. Chihiro had kept her pace steady and drawn ahead of her accompanying priest, and through Kumiro's eyes he could easily see the sway of her hips beneath the red of her hakama that were to be worn with the possibility of the need of her services as medium.

'Stop looking or I'll make sure you never sire children of your own, Kumiro.'

Kumiro's nervous splutter caused Chihiro to pause and look behind her. The way her body curved as she looked over her shoulder was very appealing, but Kohakunushi would wait to admire his priestess' form until after she was asleep and she couldn't catch him. He wasn't always controlled by her hormones, thankfully.

'Chihiro, stay either beside or behind Kumiro please.'

Kumiro opened the door to the next stairwell, ducking through quickly. Instead of focusing the thought solely at the miko, their kami had sent it to both of them, a gentle reminder of who was supposed to be protecting whom. Male was active, female passive unless otherwise necessary. Kumiro managed to find humor in it though. Their kami was so protective and possessive of Chihiro, it was a good thing that Kohakunushi had never bodily accompanied her to the University.

"Clear. Come on Chihiro."

The pair of humans ascended the stairs, not even glancing out the windows that provided natural light during the daytime. Their focus was above, were the dark presence could be said to be palpable. Neither would dread walking into whatever fray their duties lead them to though. After all, this was a job that somebody had to do. Kumiro opened the door onto the third and final floor, glaring down the hall way fiercely.

No kami were standing guard outside the doors to the apartments on this floor. They were present, but seemed to be in hiding, just within the gateways to their respective realms of apartments. To their supernaturally boosted eyes by favor of their kami, they could see a dark cloud at the very end of the hall, extending out from the last apartment in the line.

"That's it."

Kumiro merely nodded tersely at Chihiro's equally terse statement, and both could feel the invisible coils of their dragon protector tighten about them. Their footfall echoes dully in the hallway, the entire floor silent save for that hideous din. Either no families were home on this floor, or they were all currently sick in bed. The same dirty white hall as the last two floors was broken here by curiously shaped water stains that looked like screaming women moaning in unbearable torture.

Standing before the door, the priest and priestess locked eyes for a moment, each seeking to read the other's state of readiness, both knowing that their kami was quite ready. Kumiro opened the door at went in, Chihiro trailing behind and shutting the door. Kumiro did a scan of the apartment.

"Windows."

Chihiro went about, opening every window as wide as it could possibly go. They would be chasing the being out if it was merely confused, possibly exterminating it if intentionally malicious, and most definitely getting all of the stagnant energy moving again. The fresh air in the room was very welcome, and already energy that had been stuck in various corners began to flow again.

"Building on a river is definitely not good for the energy flow."

Kumiro and Kohakunushi snorted at Chihiro's dry observation. It was strange for Chihiro to be able to hear them both at the same time, one by ear and the other by telepathy.

"Well, its definitely not in this room. Let's check the next one."

The duo left the living room, following the push of energy into a bedroom. A gaping darkness awaited them behind the door, visible to earthly as well as spiritual eyes. Kumiro had stepped in, searching for anything in the room.

"It's so dark, I can't see."

Reaching a hand out to one side of the door way, Chihiro flipped in the light switch.

"Funny."

Kumiro was glaring at her now, and through his eyes she could see that Kohakunushi was as well. Deciding not to stick her tongue out at Kumiro, since Kohakunushi was also partially in the same body at this time, she opted for the safer version.

"We already know that whatever it is has to be in this room. I would like to see if there is anything it can throw at me. Then we can find out what it wants."

Well, the woman did have a good point. Kumiro realized he didn't want anything chucked at him either, he had enough to deal with when Kohaku would stomp him with the statue at the Shrine. Now that the light was on, there wasn't really anything amiss visually with the room, if you discounted a bit of gloom. There was, however, a small figurine shoved in a corner on a shelf in a rather inauspicious location. Also in the room, nearly unconscious on the bed, was a lovely young mother cradling her equally beautiful young child. Dark and weary eyes opened at the voices.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in. Arigato."

"Not to worry miss, well take care of everything."

'Kumiro, she's married. Don't get your hopes up.'

'Drat!'

While Kumiro began checking over the mother and child, Chihiro walked about the room tossing salt and chanting low to purify the area and invoke her kami's protection for the area, as well as all of the other kami in the building and of the ground itself. The culprit could be any disgruntled spirit, and so with their presence not only would the ritual go properly, they would be able to find out what grievance had been committed.

Her rounds completed, she turned the light back off and sat in the middle of the room, the dark swallowing everything once more. There was no need to loose any arrows for this ritual, but by twanging a monotonous one-noted melody on her bow, she could induce the spirits to draw closer, perhaps to speak. The rough lap of her guardian kami's scales from his unseen coils lured her steadily into a trance state. Chihiro's breath slowed and her body grew both heavy and light. Her focus, had there been anything in the dark to see, blurred and her eyes blanked before turning a mysterious river-green.

Kumiro had been chanting as well, extolling whatever malignant spirit that was attacking the complex and particularly this family to make itself known and state its desires. He had seen the change in eye color, his vision sharpened by the power of their shared kami, and knew that his lord was in possession of the miko's body before allowing the spirit to speak for the present mother to hear. The color washed back to Chihiro's but the voice that issued from her throat was not her own, frightfully deep and male as the spirit roared in his fury.

"I am most displeased."

"And why would that be, exalted one?"

"I have watched over this family for generations, travelling with them wherever they had gone. Every generation, I was held in a position of esteem and granted an auspicious position in the household. Now, I am relegated to a corner in an inauspicious location, my symbol of favor deemed little more than a curio."

"What are you called, Exalted One?"

"I am Nushi-no-watarimono-o-kami."

"What can be done to regain your favor Nushi-no-watarimono-o-kami?"

"I wish my kamidana to be moved to a more auspicious location. The mother will begin spiritual training to purify herself and to be worthy. She will dump 10 buckets of cold water on each shoulder three times a day. No longer will she sleep with her husband, though they may lie beside each other at night. I will have offerings of rice and sake every day, and these things shall be done without fail. Only then will I cease my attacks and restore my protections."

The woman on the bed began to shake, laying her little girl carefully down once more. She peered through the dark at the shadow of the possessed priestess in fear.

"Why me?"

"These things you will find out when the time is right, woman! Follow my edicts!"

Kumiro began to chant to placate the angered guardian spirit. He was confident that Chihiro would not be harmed, but the woman who had been selected as the servant of Nushi-no-watarimo had no training, and could be harmed if the spirit jumped bodies in his anger. The woman tearfully agreed, seeking only to keep her family safe, trembling with fear at what could happen if she refused such a powerful spirit.

After a time, the spirit left the body of the miko, and Kohakunushi loosened his tight spiritual grip on the woman's body. He was a lucky kami in that the family he had chosen had treated him well. He could only imagine how betrayed the other spirit had to have felt, since this was as bad as when Akio had helped fill in the river, if not worse. There was something more to it though. The woman was very lovely, and even though she had lain with a man her soul was curiously untainted. The respite that her soul could provide would be difficult for any wanderer to ignore.

In the dark, Kumiro performed the necessary purifications over the mother, child, and Chihiro. He was truly grateful that it was such an easy problem to solve. If the woman needed help with her training, they were nearby to offer what assistance that they could.Sixty buckets of cold water a day though, what could the guardian of wanderers want her so badly for? The woman had only married into the family. It was not his place to ask though, he was already doing his job. Just because the kami rarely revealed themselves in the Shrines anymore did not mean that they did not seek out special humans to perform their tasks.

With the ceremony concluded and the proper ofuda placed while the woman moved the kamidana and figure, Kumiro escorted a still dazed Chihiro back to the Shrine through the snow. Their kami had withdrawn his possessive grip, allowing the humans to breath as humans once more instead of as his channels. Chihiro had been rather sad and introspective lately, and it was beginning to worry him. She had lightened up for a while since the purification ceremony that she had attended with BlowingWind, but as time passed on whatever she had seen was beginning to nibble at her.

"Are you okay, Chi?"

"Yeah. Just thinking."

"'Bout what?"

His friend heaved a sigh and looked at him, then to the river, and back again. Whatever it was, it seemed that she wasn't ready for Haku to know about yet.

"You know that ritual that BlowingWind and I did?"

"The one where the two of you were trying to purge the piercing alarm of your biological clocks so that you could concentrate on work?"

Chihiro spared him a dry look.

"Were we that transparent?"

"I don't think the dragons, 'cept Ten, really noticed. Ten would tease the two of you about it anyway, even if the two of you didn't feel attracted to them."

"Who says I'm attracted to Haku?"

Kumiro stopped and mimed Chihiro gazing longingly at the river, faking a heartbreaking sigh. Chihiro whopped him with a snow ball in the head as her retaliation.

"Fine. So he's cute. Anyway, the last thing that was said to us by the ancestral spirits that had come was confusing to us. Maybe you can make something of it."

"I can try."

"Energy flows both ways on any thread, and even the profane is sacred if viewed while looking for Truth."

Kumiro calmly bent down and scooped up a bit of snow, keeping his staff tucked in his elbow while he packed it into a round ball.

"What if that was a cryptic way of saying that your feelings are actually returned, and you ought to just go for it? You know how spirits like riddles."

Laughing, Chihiro ducked her partner's snowball.

"So, you want me to make advances on Haku also? Ryu and Ten already threatened to lock us in a closet the next time he comes to the Shrine bodily."

"Then I'll just have to help."

"Do and you'll never father kids."

"That's funny, that's just what he says. Procreation isn't a sin Chihiro. Sure it can get dirty, but in itself, it's not bad. It's when people don't see how sacred it is that it becomes dirty. It's like a fusion of souls for a short time."

"I think you need to drop your comparative religion class."

"Do I? Or do I hit a raw nerve?"

Kumiro found himself pushed into the snow and buried.

'She's going to be in for a shock if one of these days she wakes up pregnant. Kohakunushi already has a mitama sitting in there nearly every night to watch her sleep for an hour.'

* * *

Hoshi - Buddhist monk(s)

Taijiya - Demon exterminator(s)

Catalpa bow - Sacred bow used by miko both to fire sacred arrows and to summon kami with the twang of the bow. The one stringed lute used at many shrines may be a descendant.

Catalpa - It's a type of tree, like the English bow is often of oak or yew.

Hamaya - Sacred evil destroying arrows. These are shot by miko at the beginning of some ceremonies, as well as kept in homes to ward off evil.

Arigato - Thank you.

Watarimono - Wanderer


	3. Yukionna

Arms of the Kami no Kohakugawa

Yukionna

I don't own Spirited Away. I also don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

The snow fell all around the woman, chestnut hair bound in tight spirals swiftly becoming black with water beneath the slowly growing cap of white as snowflakes embrace to form a natural veil on the soon to be bride. The air was beyond chill, beyond cold, but in her entranced state the boiling of her blood did not let her feel it, even as the slowly falling diamonds continued to interlace upon her body, the human woman receiving soft caresses from her soon to be mother, a dragon of distant sea and storm. Beside the moonlight river, the woman was a silent monolith of summertime blue in her elegant silk brocade that she had discovered after her hot shower following her arrival home folded and waiting on the counter in the bathroom.

She knew who had laid it out, and appreciated the thought after such a strangely exhausting day of work. She had fallen asleep during the exorcism, so she really had no reason to be so tired. Yet, she was.

Grey eyes watched as the river danced beneath his sheath of transparent ice, bemused by the mighty power of the small river. Words could not describe the emotions that ran through her empty body, the fine vase that waited patiently to be filled.

The ground was too slick to safely get closer to the riverside today, ice lurking on the rocks beneath the snow. The pool was still accessible, as always. However, she preferred the wild freeness of the river proper, enjoyed his untempered power. The river was who he was, unpredictable and deep, amoral and ambiguous. Chihiro loved his otherness, how he could be warm beneath summer sun or frozen beneath a snowy mantle and yet retain a liquid core.

Violet eyes watched the priestess, having dug their way up from a snowy 'grave' where he had been planted in fun and frustration much earlier when the sun was still out. Safe behind the tree he had crept behind, he felt his heart constrict for the young woman who trained herself so hard, and yet remained convinced that she had no spiritual gift of her own. She never remembered what happened when she was in her trance, and so, she was always convinced that she had merely fallen asleep when they were called on for exorcisms. Careful fingers fiddled with a string of purple beads that he hid under his kimono where they lay around his neck.

The Priestess turned slowly around to head back inside, having bid a good night to the being that held her heart captive. The rising of the moon sparkled on the tears that dotted her cheeks, and Kumiro thought how much like a young widow who had lost her beloved samurai in a war. The cruelest part was that he was right there, in the water, yet unable to be by her side as much as he wished. The two were separated by the worlds that they inhabited, even though they meshed. Their responsibilities held the lovers apart.

It made Kumiro sick.

Looking down at his hand, Kumiro thought about how foolish it was to allow one's duties to interfere with the heart. That same mistake had nearly cost his ancestors everything. The scar in the middle of his palm served as a reminder to enjoy life to the fullest. The curse of the Kazanaa had been lifted generations before, but the memory was embedded in his very DNA. It only made sense, considering the fact that holy powers also tended to run in the family.

As Chihiro slowly made her way back towards the living quarters, Kumiro's eyes were drawn back up by a malicious wave that pulled fallen snow together. The tall woman who formed was arrayed in white, her skin a frostbitten pale blue as twin rubies glared at the human who held the heart of the powerful river spirit. The spirit of a woman who had frozen around 300 years ago if her clothing was an accurate judge, she was obviously filled with hate and jealousy. Gliding after the priestess through the snow, the yukionna raised one arm to send a frozen blast to annihilate the weak human.

The blow never landed. Kumiro had seen in time and had whipped off the beads to fling them at the snow demon. His aim was true, and the woman vanished, pulled into the very beads themselves. These beads had once been worn by the great monk Miroku, who's own ancestor had been cursed by Naraku and who assisted in extermination of the half-demon. So long had they held the curse in check, that after it had been broken they had absorbed the power, and become a pure version of the same weapon. However, this version had no death sentence.

The human maiden continued on her way unaccosted, guardian spirits that had been hiding from her view now drawing closer to her. Even on the Shrine ground, she was not always safe. The problem was that she was so pure mentally and physically that she never sensed when she was in danger.

Kumiro was glad that Nigihayami Kohakunushi had warned him about the uprisings of spirits. Most in the ward did not actively object to the chosen mate of the river dragon being human, although there were a few, like the former yukionna, who had gotten the idea of liquidating the mortal. If she had succeeded, that would have been very bad, not just for the river kami but also for the community.

After all, the shrine keepers served as the kami's physical arms as they tended the community.

* * *

Not the end, more will eventually follow.

Yukionna - Snow woman. A type of youkai (demon) made of snow and taking the shape of a beautiful woman. There are several ways that these come to be.

Kazanaa - Air Rip, Void, aka 'big black sucky hole that was in Miroku's hand'


	4. Losing a Soul?

Arms of the Kami no Kohakugawa

Losing a soul?

I don't own Spirited Away. I also don't own Inuyasha. The plot is mine though, as well as my almost confiscated soda.

* * *

The resident Nisou had drifted to bed already by the time that Kumiro had collected the beads of his ancestor and traipsed back into the Shrine. For the duration of his winter break, he was spending nights in spare living quarters here. He didn't have to attend class, especially since he was only taking one class for sheer pleasure at this time. He also did not have to stay at the Shrine since he had his own apartment still. However, with his trusty tape recorder and a very loud Chihiro at night, how could he resist? One of these days, they would convince Chihiro that she did talk in her sleep.

Now if he could only figure out why Kohaku had it so easy with the ladies.

"Kumiro! Don't bring in any more snow. I just mopped up after Chi drug herself into her room, snow mantle and all."

Focusing on the insides of the building, his eyes rested on the shapely and curvaceous form of the resident Native American Shaman. Her brown hair fell somewhere between chin and shoulder like a spritely waterfall, and the milky skin and shining turquoise eyes made her look more Irish than the Apache that was her father. Then again, the woman's story was that her mother was from Ireland, so it only stood to reason. Her shining orbs of wildest sky were currently sparkling with an odd mix of amusement and indignation.

"What do you want me to do? Strip down to my loincloth?"

"We all performed misogi yesterday, remember? It's not like we haven't seen you and your loincloth before."

"I don't want to see it again. It's bad enough when I'm trying to concentrate on purification of all the crud we pick up in the line of duty."

A nicely proportioned and rather typical Asian male had interrupted the household discussion between the two keepers. His chocolate orbs sparked with amusement at his friend's predicament, short dark hair poking away from his head for that wild and wooly just towel dried look. Already in a pair of his infamous pajamas, Ryu was waiting patiently on the couch for his nightly head bop when BlowingWind read what was on it this time. Kumiro did not understand why dragons liked it when a woman was hard to get, but then again he also didn't understand why he himself did either.

"I should certainly hope not Ryu! I know that I am a very masculine and attractive male, but I would much rather find a slender and petite _feminine_ flower than a scaly dragon who loves to be hit around."

"It was a mistake!"

"You bet it was a mistake."

The men shared a quiet laugh as they remembered the accident in question. BlowingWind shook her head and rolled her eyes while she passed over to her favorite black beanbag.

The group of five shrine keepers had gone to the waterfall upriver to purify themselves. Yes, it was the middle of winter, with snow and freezing cold. However, it was the best time to perform such a ritual to remove impurities and to build up spiritual strength. As the icy water poured down over one's head in the midst of the chanting, one could easily feel interior gates unlock. The men had been in their ritual undergarment, stoically ignoring the cold. Likewise, the women had been in their virginal white under-kimono, ignoring both the cold and the wind spirit who had been trying to mess with them.

While Koji had been taking his turn beneath the pounding fall of Kohakunushi's steely fingers, Ryu had reached out for a loving and reassuring caress of her backside. As luck would have it, he lost his balance and instead somehow managed to grab Kumiro's loincloth as he fell in his desperate attempt to keep his feet. The funny thing was that Kumiro had been on the other side of BlowingWind. Thankfully, BlowingWind herself had been watching Koji to make sure that he did not lose consciousness and get swept beneath the ice downriver, so she didn't see the embarrassed man's Tama.

It was pretty funny though, even if Chihiro had seen more than she had ever wanted to when she turned to see what the commotion was. Everyone knew that Kumiro was not the one she saw in her head though. Trust her to turn to look for the rustle in the bushes and see the incident out of the corner of her eye. When it was her turn, the water had literally stopped for a moment, so greatly had the kami been shocked by the first thought that she sought to rid herself of. When she returned after what had to have been the longest misogi in the history of the Kohakugawa, their Nisou had relayed his orders that both Kumiro and Ryu enter the water together. The women and one confused old man watched as the water increased it's pressure.

Neither of the women told their Daitoku what the river spirit was so fiercely protesting. The guys had gotten beaten up enough.

"That was a pretty immature thing to do though Ryu. Chihiro's never going to tell him what she wants if things go at this rate. I swear she's married to her work or something."

Kumiro took off the snow covered haori, hanging it on a peg for the purpose near the door and slipping off his winter boots. Once that task was finished, and he had wrung out the hems of his hakama, he plopped on the other side of Ryu's couch and caused a near panicking dragon to haul his feet back.

"Wrong, Wind. If she were married to her work, we wouldn't have a pining away Nisou on our hands."

The human woman and her volcano kami snorted at Kumiro's play on words. It was true though. The more that she missed her kami and his physical presence, the more spiritual and devout she became. She was becoming less rooted in the physical world and more wraith-like every day. Chihiro didn't walk so much anymore as eerily float with a saddened splendor that only the love-lorn can achieve. It made her a very powerful channel, true, but it was also very dangerous to her body.

"Should we tell him?"

Wind had voiced her question from her black cushy stronghold. One arm was held over her eyes in mental exhaustion as she reclined while the other dangled limply behind her. The pure white of her Victorian styled nightgown made her resemble an innocent maiden in some cheesy vampire novel, but both the dragon and human knew better. Even in her worn and frayed state, she would make any vampire plea for a quick and merciful end if one were so idiotic as to cross her.

"No. Haku is already stretching himself too thin. He's been busy paying off debts and favors that I don't even want to think about what he did to get stuck in those positions. Not to mention the fact that he has spirits challenging his right to his own river, and questioning his choices. He is already working hard to be able to come for the summer matsuri for Chi, but even that is pushing it. He may end up possessing Kumiro and the statue again like last year. He already sends a large portion of himself to guard her most vulnerable dreams."

Kumiro shuddered at Ryu's points. He still didn't have the full story of what had happened while the river spirit had been in his unwilling exile, and from Ryu's expressions when the two talked without the women hearing he didn't think he wanted to. He wasn't too keen on the idea of being nearly fully possessed either, since not only could his emotions and internal reactions be known by the spirit, but then the young priest could also hear the kami's own. So he would get yelled at for looking while Haku himself would have trouble concentrating on not looking. Yeah, that was fair.

As he remembered what he had just done outside, his hand strayed back to the beads he wore around his neck, unconsciously pulling them out.

"There was a yukionna outside."

"A snow woman?"

"Yup. Tried to ice Chi. Stopped her though."

The other pair in the room eyed the beads curiously.

"Are those the beads your ancestor wore?"

"Yes. A blessing bestowed on the family by Buddah as my ancestor and the group he traveled with had become so dependent on the rip. The power of the Kazanaa was transferred into the beads by His grace after Naraku's curse was lifted from our line. The only actual mark of the curse that is left is the scar in my hand, a judicious reminder to not judge by appearances. These were what I used to vanquish and release the lost soul."

"So why have you stopped actively looking for a girlfriend?"

"And offend Kohaku's honor by getting laid first? I like my equipment in working order and have no need for a very jealous and deprived kami to strike me temporarily impotent, which is what will happen if I even get close to scoring with any woman before he scores with Chihiro."

BlowingWind, having long ago removed her arm when the yukionna had been mentioned, was clearly shocked at Kumiro's rather frank utterance. Ryu merely sagely shook his head.

"You made a bet that you would get laid first, and pissed him off again, didn't you?"

"Yup. Hey, it's that time again. Shall we spy?"

BlowingWind quickly got off of her cushion.

"You two are incorrigible. One of these days, you're going to walk in on them just to embarrass the poor guy."

The males watched her storm away to her bedroom, praying that the slamming door would wake neither Koji nor Chihiro. Ryu nonchalantly scratched his head.

"Guess that means she's out tonight."

"Come on Einstein. Let's go make sure he keeps his three year vow. What an idiot."

"Me? Or Haku?"

"Who do you think, dragon? At least Wind isn't drifting around and burning our food when it's her turn to cook. If it's for Kohaku though . . ."

* * *

Kami - spirit, god or deity depending on translator and usage, but most correctly is spirit.

Tama - jewel. This time, a pun.

Nisou - Priestess, higher than miko.

Daitoku - Priest

Misogi - Ritual purification done at various times through the year. This is done with chanting and entrance into water. It takes place in the sea, river, lake, or under a waterfall and is said to remove impurities, as well as used in the past to gain spiritual power. This is more extreme than the previously mention cold water austerity of dumping buckets of cold water over oneself.

NitenGale - No problem, totally understand.

Neech - Kumiro both does and does not have a curse. As he experiences time, the curse has already been lifted. If he were to meet Kagome, she would experience him as having the curse (gauntlet and all) until such time as she and her group fulfill their destiny and defeat Naraku. He possesses Miroku's beads because the monk survived (by Naraku croaking). The entity that Miroku served (Buddah) saw that the group had become dependent on the void, and so the bead became the focal point for a new gift. Kumiro's curse however is that he, like his ancestor, has a dirty mind that often gets him in trouble. He'll eventually get lucky.


	5. The Dragon, the Baku, the Nisou

Arms of the Kami no Kohakugawa

The Dragon, the Baku, and the Nisou

Spirited Away and all characters from it belong to Hayao Miyazaki.

* * *

The young woman lay in a deep sleep upon her soft bed, both the deep and shallow colors of rivers swirling around her in her various beddings. The rounded and cherubic face, albeit slightly narrowed with her adulthood, was relaxed in gentle repose as her slow breath lightly stirred the air. Darkened pools spilled around her head as normally primly bound hair had been left free to eddy as it would in the currents of the night. The dark curtains were drawn tight across the window, and the dim glow of a night light cast monstrous shadows around the room. At the head of the bed, a shadow stirred at a change in the woman's breathing, while a vaguely cat-like shape prowled at the foot of the bed.

Every night for months now he took time from his duties to focus a sizable chunk of his presence here to watch her sleep. It was time that he could ill afford at times, and yet he gladly did it anyway. It gave him some measure of peace, and it seemed to help ease her rest somewhat. She tried to hide it from the others, but she was wearing thin, and that worried him greatly. While part of him carried on with paperwork or other monotonous tasks, the great majority of his attention was here on the woman now resting at his side.

"Master. Surely you have better things to do. You need your rest as well, and I have been guarding the dreams of humans for hundreds of years."

River grass tore itself away from its nightly study of the woman who had somehow managed to capture his heart and fire his imagination in ways that he had never dreamed possible. Instead, they now took in the monstrously ghostly form that had stopped her prowling to seat herself in a pristine comma of fur. A mix of dog and lion, as well as many other bits of creatures that he could never be truly certain of, the great beast's gentle disposition was greatly decried by her fierce visage. Moonlight had solidified to form her fur, and her eyes were two coals that cut through even the darkest night to seize her prey. Her diet, as with all Baku, consisted entirely of bad dreams.

"Little is as important to me as she is Bakuyuki."

"Be that as it may, you stretch yourself thin. What other river is rebuilding his ecology, repelling unwanted elements, courting, and defending an unopened priestess from those who seek her purity and hidden power? At the same time, this river is still repaying many other spirits for crimes he committed when little more than a well-treated slave."

"Yet without my priestess, where would I be now? I owe her far more than can ever be repaid."

"And so you try to surpass even your own father in protectiveness of those that are cherished."

The arguing pair silenced as the priestess stirred more. Whimpers tore at the river's cold heart. She was his warmth, the thing that showed him there was hope for the future. And yet, things plagued her dreams as of late. His attention to the problem had been drawn one moonless night when she had screamed his full and true name in panic to the five lands, sending great shockwaves of a familiar and yet unnameable type to every creature in his protectorate. Yet, never had he or the dream eater been able to figure out what the vexing visions were.

The projection of the river lord took her hand, seeking some way to let her know in her dreams that she was not alone. Normally, he had no problem sliding into her dreams. It was usually as simple as sliding into his own river, although the currents of her mind were a far sight warmer than the rushing snowmelt that he always transported as his blood. Lately though, many of her dreams had been as impervious to him as was Ten's head at times. It was like someone was trying to steal her away from him, or perhaps something even worse.

As his hand tightened around her frail human one, Kohakunushi felt a great wave of exhaustion. It was so similar to what he had felt when he had been an unnaturally separated entity, and he wondered if perhaps his Chihiro were suffering from some sort of separation like he once had. It would be a matter to discuss with the Shaman that served here tomorrow. It was too dangerous to allow Chihiro to partake in any more of the spiritual tasks until this puzzling predicament was taken care of.

The Baku stalked up to the head of the bed, glowing eyes trained on something that only it could see as she tensed for the right moment to strike. The ghostly fur began to stir with the powerful currents caused by the dreamer as she struggled in the net woven around her mind in the dream. Chihiro's eyes opened blindly as she sought sight within her dreamworld, the often grey eyes now brown and clouded with doubt. One word repeated itself over and over, falling from her lips like drops of water from a leaky faucet.

"Why?"

The emotions congealed in the word had no names, so primal that few ever knew of them. The hairband laid out on the nightstand began to glow as it sensed her distress, a purple glimmer of friendship given solid form. Kohaku tried to reach into the dreamer's mind, to deliver her from whatever nightmares were eating away at her. The barrier held strong though, and with each repeated attempt he lost a bit more solidity in his projection. He wished that he had mastered teleportation like Ten had in order to fully be at her side, but every dragon had his personal strengths. Ten could teleport, but he was terrible with projection.

Able to stand no more, the young priestess called out the ancient formula that would allow the dream to break no matter how strong it was. Somehow, he had managed to get through to her that whatever it was was only a dream, an illusion.

"Baku! Devour this dream! Oh, Hakuuuu!"

The dream eater had been waiting for the opening to appear, and deftly caught the dark orb as it fled from the mind of the slumbering human. With great relish, the being settled down to feast on the dream, trying to place the exotic flavor. Still though, identification was no use.

After the nightmare had been expelled from her consciousness, the young woman settled back down, her face smoothing back into peaceful repose. A gentle sigh heaved her chest beneath it's coverings as her face turned for the perceived safety of a familiar and soothing presence that was currently rubbing circles into her hand. Haggard and strained now, his eyes were closed as he fought to draw himself back to her side instead of returning to where he was supposed to be. If this were the long ago, he would not have needed to leave her here, but what good did it do to dwell on the past?

Two deep male voices broke into the silent thoughts of the river. The first was soft and thoughtful as a mountain lake, while the second had a note of deep heat threatening to ignite at any moment.

"I think these dreams of hers are posing more of a danger to you than to Chihiro, Lord."

"Haku, you're going to worry yourself to death if you keep this up."

Bakuyuki gave a growl of assent as she continued to eat the dream that she had captured. Juices of some unidentifiable type dribbled down her chin to wet her fur, staining it temporarily a suspicious shade of red. Closed eyes had flown open to become steel mirrors before warming into emerald jewels in recognition of the voices. Judging by his reaction, it was safe to assume that the kami had been unaware of his audience.

"How long have you two known I was here?"

"Awhile."

Kumiro leaned in the door way, watching with guarded violets as the river spirit reluctantly released the hand he had been caressing. Ryu was bolder though, actually having ventured inside the bedchamber to lean on a wall near the door. Both were concerned for the spirit as well as the young priestess.

"That was not a normal dream. She sounded more panicked than impassioned tonight."

Kohakunushi had allowed his features a downward turn as he said that, the dark thoughts playing in his mind causing him to seem far older than he really was. In all his days, he could not say that he had ever experienced one of his loved ones experiencing the number of night time disturbances that she had been of late. He had wondered if perhaps some dream demon had been targeting her, but it had only taken a few weeks to rule that out. Whatever was causing this was coming from within herself.

Chihiro began to stir again as she searched for the comfort that had been withdrawn, reaching out and feeling around until she found what she was looking for. Grasping one of the river lord's great sleeves, a deft tug took him by surprise and caused him to land on the bed beside her. As he lay there in shock trying to process what had just happened, he found himself swiftly becoming her 'cuddle dragon' as she dove deeper into sleep.

"Mine. My cuddly dragon."

By this time, the dream eater had finished eating the strange vision, and had seen the little human turn her master into a large and rather draconic teddy bear. Her animalistic smirk was hidden under all of her fluffy fur, but by the twinkle in her eyes one could tell how amused she was to see the great Nigihayami Kohakunushi reduced to 'my cuddly dragon.' The other dragon in the room had stuffed his fist in his mouth to cover his snickers, while the young priest just smiled at how cute a pair they made.

Haku was not amused with the others' amusement. However, even in this projection of presence he could not resist contact with her. Taking his new position in stride with a soft smile into the freed hair he began slowly repositioning himself. It wasn't long before he had made himself somewhat comfortable and pillowed her head on his chest, glaring at the others and daring them to say anything. Wisely, the shrine keepers excused themselves for bed and the Baku merely held her spot. Bakuyuki had no need to leave as to do so would be to abandon her post, even with her master present.

Bakuyuki had never abandoned a post yet, and when the river lord had hired her she had decided that she would not start with this one. The human had an immense channeling ability, and to allow her dreams to go unchecked would be folly. Still, he needed some privacy with her, even with this silly limitation that he had set upon himself to preserve the maiden's honor. A long pink tongue passed through black lips to clean the solidified moonlight that was her coat, freeing it from the odd tasting blood that had been in the dream orb.

Ten minutes passed, and Bakuyuki was clean once more. Turning her embers back on the pair, she found that instead of one sleeping soul, there were two. Her solid form lay in restful repose, gentle breath stirring an increasingly clear mane. He had wrapped around her possessively, as if by holding her in his generous coils he could preserve her from whatever had been haunting her. Having little else to do as the maiden's most active dreaming time was already past, the Baku watched the pair sleep, the river eventually fading away to leave a little water to wet the covers as the only sign of his passing.

With the unwilling withdrawal of the woman's deity, the dreams began returning again, and Bakuyuki feasted. The woman needed to put up one of those dreamcatchers like the strange woman who lived here as well. It wouldn't do much against the dreams that originated within herself, but it would certainly do much against the ones that filtered in from other places.


	6. Soul Dreams

Arms of the Kami no Kohakugawa

Chapter 6: Soul Dreams

Rain Says:

Hello everyone. I'm back from a funeral, so I probably won't be uploading anything new on this or any of the other stories for a while. I wrote some while I was gone, but they just don't seem right. I've got to get out of the funk. Anyway, please enjoy.

* * *

Thunder filled the air as the festival drums sounded, the skins caressed by white clad men and carried through the community. All through the streets children's voices rang in accompaniment to cymbals and bells, the two musics competing and yet complementing each other. Paper streamers danced in the wind before the great dragon that paraded to the shrine from the city's heart, the white silk of simulated scales shining as his green mane blew. 

On a small float, isolated to her own company, rode a small figure whose eyes were trained into some other world. The rushing rapids themselves seemed to have leant their color to the fine kimono she wore, girded with a simple blue obi tied in a modest style. Chestnut waves rode free past her shoulders, all of her normal bindings removed for the sacred rite. Even a particular hair tie had been removed, although it was placed about her wrist now. Sitting on her knees, a proud figure she cut as she rode, wavering not even an inch though the drunken men below the deck might as well have been a stormy sea. Clutched nervously to her left breast in her right hand was a white rose, fresh as the day she had first received the holy gift so many years ago.

Behind the float, mounted on twin snowy steeds were a young male and female. River blue and snow white swathed the attendants as the tack jangled with the festival sounds, adding its own music to the fray. Today, instead of the sacred jewel and mirror they normally conveyed, they had brandished weapons seemingly at thin air. The woman, an odd figure with her icy blue eyes and short red-brown hair pierced the crowd with her gaze and periodically sliced the air with her naginata, a loud cry of victory frightening any other demon daring an attack on the vessel she guarded. Her spiritual sight revealed dangers most humans missed, causing many to believe it just a show. The man presented a similar image, although much more common appearing with his dark hair and warm brown eyes. Similar to his partner, he cantered while wielding a katana, defeating dark forces unknown to the gathered humanity.

Following behind this spectacle was a tiny retinue composed of children serving as assistants at the holy site they were destined for, high chants vibrating the air with sweet melody. Clad in red and white, they were as little fires as they danced and sang, spewing forth sparks of sweets in their wake to symbolize the blessings that the river brought.

These displays of pomp were to be seen periodically, although the oddity of this one would cause any tourist to wonder what was happening if this were not a normally held festival. After the restoration of the river and the return of the shrine from the mists of generations past, this was possibly the greatest occurrence since. Today, the head miko would be elevated into a new position, and although not as honored as a high priestess in the Ise shrine, she would be high priestess of this river shrine.

The white figure had undergone an intense ritual of purification, and then a test to determine her readiness. Literally spending days below the fingers of the falls, the cold rushing waters had tested her stamina, will, and desire to improve herself. Not once had her chants ceased as she prayed to the river deity to remove her impurities to serve him better. Her community was always in her prayers, never forgotten as each piece relied on the whole. She wavered a few times, nearly losing her balance, beneath the onslaught, but always she had been supported through her faith. The deity heard her prayers and after her seven day trial the falling waters pressed a stone into hands that had been forming mudras and a fond kiss upon her brow. With the receipt of the gift, she had briefly felt something inside herself open wider, a flood gate releasing torrents of some unknown substance.

Her grandfather had been the most pleased. The shrine would be balanced by her new role, and a step closer to the way things had been done when the very first shrine for the river had been constructed back when the Ainu had first wandered to this land.

So it was now that she found herself here amongst all of this rejoicing while her mind attended to other matters entirely.

She felt him all about her, his cold scales slipping over her skin as his coils closed around her. The weight of a huge head rested on one shoulder as his breath tickled her ear in his purrs and growls of contentment or his hisses of annoyance as some invisible low level spirit dared to approach what was his own. Her body still felt the weight of the water crashing over her head and combing away all that had hidden her light. To the priestess, the roars of the crowd were his roars of jubilation as she opened herself to him in whatever way he would have her, a willing vessel for his power. She was the one to relay his more potent blessings to the populace that she served.

The lonely tones of a flute ghosted over everything, and as her eyes returned once more to the realm of man, she thought she saw his human shape. Looking closer as she passed though, there was a decided lack of color to the kimono, signaling that it was in fact the sire instead. A nod and smile that temporarily lit the sad emeralds further revealed the disguised dragon's approval.

Another familiar face stood out from the crowd closer to the shrine, laughing holes shining forth earthen treasures. Dark hair bubbled into the air, seeming to have life of its own and refusing to lay down for the owner. His ornate black kimono echoed of the deepest reaches of hidden caves while the blue borders spoke of the waters that the spring spirit processed. The impertinent kami called something at her in a guttural growling language interspersed with hisses, followed by his boisterous laughter.

She didn't understand it, nor did any of the community members other than the male rider currently on her left side, but her guardian seemed to. A reply hissed out of her throat unbidden as they continued, her invisible dragon's clutch growing tighter until she felt as if her breath was no more.

They continued onward towards the shrine, steadily drawing nearer to the sacred precinct. Today she would be eligible for marriage with this release of her miko status into a different one, although only one entity in the world captivated her imagination. A cloth replica of him continued to dance ahead of her, tormenting her with a desire to see the true dragon once more. His emerald and jade eyes tormented her thoughts, the line between religious dedication and desire having disappeared long ago for her. Although she could marry with her new post, she would not, maintaining her body as set aside only for him as she had vowed so long ago.

Here is where her dream began to swing wide of the reality of what had happened that day. A red glow came over everything, warning her of an upcoming bloodshed. The thin border between the realms of humanity and the spirits began to rip before her very eyes, and whole groups of festival goers were lost to her sight. Hideous monsters spewed forth from the gaping maw, blood blackened and encrusted on ivory fangs like cracking and over-dried icing on a petrified cake. Unspeakable horrors, many of the citizens were petrified on the spot with their fear. After all, everyone just knew that monsters were only fantasy.

The priestess and her retinue were the only line of defense these humans and earthbound spirits possessed. BlowingWind and Ryu were already engaging two of the beasts, both now wounded and dripping in sweat and blood that mixed and ran like juice. The priestess had no weapons and no way that she could think of to help fight, useless and ornamental like so many others in so many other shrines across the islands. The coils of the dragon tightened around her further as the nearby river began to froth with the enraged approach of the charging lord.

Out of the roiling waters like any wrathful god he arose. The river itself congealed into a solid form, pearl scales white as whitecaps and his mane seeming as dancing river weeds. The rapids roared through his mouth in his rage, and emerald faded to jade becoming steel before glowing like a katana in the forge.

The monster that had been preparing to eat the struggling woman dropped its prize hard wrested from the protecting mitama before blazing against the main of the river guardian. The beast stole her beloved's form, making it impossible to distinguish between attacker and defender and in the course of the battle both became wounded.

As she stared in horror all around her, Chihiro realized that even if she had been able to do something, the priestess was little more than a shade anyway. Neither of one world or the other anymore, ultimately her efforts would all be futile, and any results derided.

"Reach inside yourself.  
Seek what you have lost.  
Find once more the shelf,  
Before you pay great cost."

The voice overriding her dream was neither man nor woman, but a blend of the two. Resonant and lyrical, it was at once calm and angry, loving and hateful.

What had she lost? When had she dropped it? Most importantly, how would she know when she had found it once more?

Her dream began to eat at her soul, consuming parts of it that had become battered by forces unknown to spirit them away. It was at this most dangerous point that she heard familiar whispers in her ear, and feltharsh pressure upon a clammy hand.

"Chihiro. Please wake up. Don't leave me."

Before her eyes, illusions shattered as will a winter icicle once dropped on frozen ground. Stepping out of her dream, the priestess said the spell taught to so many Japanese children in their beds to ward away nightmares.

"Baku! Devour this dream! Oh, Hakuuu!"

The visions faded from her sight and sweet rest claimed her wounded being. A warmth wrapped her in his arms and Chihiro knew that she was safe and that she belonged. Later, other dreams would dance the conga through her mind, but none would have the staying power of that horrifying vision.

When Chihiro awoke in the morning, her bed was damp and sweet smelling. Once more, she had proven weak, and he had protected her. It had been long since she gazed on his face. Was he disappointed in her weakness, and that was why he did not stay?

"What have I lost that I must find?"

Nothing answered her waking query, but the sun streaming in her window seemed to pat her shoulder in reassurance.


	7. BlowingWind's Secret Face

Arms of the Kami no Kohakugawa

BlowingWind's Secret Face

Miyazaki-san owns rights to Spirited Away, Chihiro, and Haku. Many thanks go out to the man for the inspiration that his story has given to myself and many other fans.

The writing bug has returned and life goes on. To be accurate, my daughter said that just because I'm sad is not a good reason to not write. Some fluff and dragon insight.

* * *

Blue eyes opened to the sun's insistent demands, grudging being roused from peaceful dreams without the deep stares of a brooding dragon. As time passed, he became even more broody and overprotective. Recently, he had even attempted to keep her from her duties on the grounds that she could injure herself. How she could injure herself while weeding she didn't know, but apparently it was a terrifying thought to Ryu. Thank goodness she didn't need to do any weeding during the winter. 

As much as she cared for the dragon, personally she wondered if he was losing his grip on sanity. Dragons, in her experience, brooded to the point of insanity. Some, like Ryu, hid it well. Others didn't hide it well at all.

With a groan she relented and kept her eyes open, meeting the grinning gaze of the disguised dragon in question. The earthy depths of his eyes burned with a passion only surpassed by the heated core at the center of this shifting planet. The American never did figure out just what had ever caused this spirit to obsess over her in the manner that he had ever since they had met, but in her own way she mirrored his feelings. The differences between the two were great and many, but their feelings spanned the gap.

Spirits like Ryu were technically immortal, dying only if killed or willing, but never passing from old age. When he died, provided that some bit of him remained somewhere, he would reincarnate easily into a similar position though. A volcano and magma dragon, he was a product of the dance of earth and fire, given birth through the actions of his sire and dam. As a result of his elemental balance, his dragon form was capable of breathing tongues of fire and in any form he could command the very soil to do his bidding. Over a thousand years old, he still had many mannerisms that confused the mortal, and had seen somethings that he knew would drive his human quite mad if he were to ever tell of. Ryu was also used to people obeying his orders instantly, and it often vexed him that his little one foiled him in his acts whenever she got the chance.

"Awake, Little Zephyr?"

BlowingWind answered by burying her face into the soft lap that pillowed her head, before realizing just where she was nosing. To his credit, Ryu was quite used to it, and his aroused senses did not result in the erection a lesser male would instantly receive.

"Not that awake then."

With Ryu's laughing reply to himself, BlowingWind now realized where she was, but here in the safety of their room there were no spectators to judge them. This was her haven from everything, and despite the numerous advances he had made on her he waited patiently for her to be ready. For just a little longer, the young woman would rest in the safety he so willingly provided. For a few precious moments, she would not wear the mask that she presented to the world so that others would worry about their own problems.

"I really could use five more minutes."

Gently he patted her head, stroking her short hair as if she were some rare and wondrous creature while she burrowed further into his warmth. A male not used to waiting, Ryu chafed at her fears, wishing she would carry her nuzzlings in a different direction or at least just a little further. Still, humans were tricky creatures to tame and patience was the key. He would not ever try to train her, since he could admit to liking her fierce nature. However, as a dragon he treasured the moments when she dropped her defenses and allowed the shy child inside herself expression.

"You can't go back to sleep, but you can stay in my lap forever."

He meant it in all seriousness, he did want her there forever. He wanted to possess her fully, to be one with her in ways no human would ever be able to share with her. To become a part of her was his goal, and once it had finally been accomplished, Ryu would take her home where he could blend with her forever, long past when her shell was dust fed to his magma tongue.

Staying where she was for forever did appeal to her greatly. But if she did that, things would never get done. She had a friend to worry about, to protect from whatever was stealing her rest and slowly causing her spirit to fade into the shadows. Perhaps later, after Chihiro was safe and after she and Ryu removed the last of the fortifications around their secrets they could talk about what he was proposing again.

"Silly dragon. Humans don't have forever. Only fleeting moments of time that are illusion."

Once more she had turned him down, although the pause before her usual reply was longer than usual. Once again he was made to look as foolish as the river dragon he counted as a friend. Dragons loving humans was such a strange thing that they were the laughing stock of much of the spirit world. Few wanted control of Ryu's magma, but many spirits salivated at the thought of obtaining Kohakunushi's reborn river brimming with power. Many were even desperate enough for power, names, or purpose as to attack the river lord or his chosen consort outright.

As Ryu brooded over his own unbelieving consort, she began to remove herself from his lap. To her consternation he had once more managed to undo her gown sometime in the night, exposing much of her shoulders to his view. The warmth of her head leaving his lap alerted the dragon to her intentions.

"You don't have to get up yet."

"It's morning. I need to go greet the sun and get breakfast started."

"You give Amaterasu more attention than you give your own kami. Kohaku at least has his ownattending him several times a day."

BlowingWind couldn't help but smile at how crestfallen her guardian spirit looked because of his bruised pride. Tiny lines furrowed here and there on his face while his lower lip grew with his pout. In that face she could see the echoes of the little boy he had been hundreds of years before many of her ancestors lived. Despite how different dragons were, surely there were similarities in their growth and psychology. He certainly was like the boys she had gone to school with and observed, easily appeased with affection.

Lunging quickly, she caught his lips with her own, tasting him while he tasted her own.

"You know that's not true. Such a jealous kami you are Take Ryu no O Mi Kami, earthly spirit from below Fujisan."

"Of course, You are mine after all, and Amaterasu has many miko of her own."

"Blech. Enough mush Ryu, we are starting to sound like we are stuck in a dime romance novel."

"I don't mind BlowingWind."

"I do. I'm not mushy."

With that Ryu found himself alone in the bed. The Shamaness that the Sacred Winds of Spirit had blown to him was snatching parts of a clean uniform from a chest to scurry away and shower.

"Someday you will feel different, Shy One."

Licking his chops, the disguised dragon rose from his bed. If he was quick, he could cook himself some extra bacon before BlowingWind went into the kitchen. For some reason, she believed he needed a diet. Like it was his fault that expelling so much energy to help protect the area gave him a large appetite. He was doing it all for her, so that she would be safe and so that he didn't impregnate her with a misplaced thought, the least that she could do was let him replenish himself properly. Working quickly, the dragon shed his red and black pajamas in favor of the blue and white working robes of the shrine he was currently hiding in. Now that the human he was caring for was awake, there were many things to take care of today.

"So much to take care of, and it all comes at once."


	8. River's Jealousy

Arms of the Kami no Kohakugawa

Chapter 8: River's Jealousy

LadyRainStarDragon does not own Spirited Away, Chihiro, or Haku/Nigihayami Kohakunushi. They are the property of Hayao Miyazaki.

Kami, no matter how affable they seem at times, are actually rather hard to please sometimes. Nobody knows what puts them in a bad mood, but when they get that way . . .

AN: Due to some concerns that came to my attention today, I will be unavailable for a while. It's not anything too bad, but our budget is undergoing revision. So I won't be able to update as frequently for a while.

* * *

Chihiro had just finished stripping down her bed, irritated that her sheets and blankets were wet. Already she was wearing her white haori and blue hakama for a normal day of service, the wide azure legs seeming as a skirt to those unfamiliar with the cut. It was a bit early in the week to change her sheets, but she figured it was better than having a wet mattress later.

Now that it was done, Chihiro had to hurry to meet BlowingWind, or she would be even later than she already was.

Racing down the hall, the scent of bacon filled the air while Ryu got a jump start on preparing the keepers' breakfast. Her tiny feet tattooed out a rapid heartbeat as the priestess flew through the housing for the door. Chihiro wasn't really a fan of bacon, as her parents had once been turned into pigs, but she also wasn't going to complain. After all, she wasn't the one cooking, and BlowingWind needed to eat meat rather often since her body seemed rather dependent on it for some reason. Besides, the resident dragon ate most of it, being a predator and all that went with that.

"Slow down human. The river isn't going to run away as you well know. His course is pretty set."

"Sorry Ryu."

The slam of the door behind her did little to convince the dragon of her sincerity. In fact it convinced him of the opposite. Something was bothering her yet again this morning, which was understandable after the nightmare she had been protected from over the night. This lack of focus of hers seemed to be getting progressively worse.

The sun beat joyously down on the maiden as she joined the other maiden in the courtyard. Flagstones had been swept of the enshrouding snow over the course of the night, some spirit having decided to save the attendants the trouble. The pair would have liked to say a thank you, but if they did the helpful spirit would move to a new home. They would just have to remember to leave out a little food tonight instead.

Melodic sounds wavered in the air as BlowingWind caressed her guitar, drawing the Shrine Dancer into weaving the morning energies together with her rhythmic gyrations. The pair raised their voices in song pure and sweet, and Amaterasu drew cheer from the heartfelt gift for her long guardianship of the sun's light.

Shine forth, Golden Sun!  
Sweet morning has begun.  
Light our way this day.  
Beneath your shining we shall stay.

Lift your shining face.  
Bathe us with your grace.  
Show us how to shine,  
Us little growing children of thine.

Lovely Amaterasu!  
We give thanks to you.  
From your golden light  
Comes all the lovely growth in sight.

The song chorused several times through, growing louder and more energetic with each pass. As the dancer swirled in the whirlpools of Love created by the winds of Life her voice carried down to the river and the waters reacted to the waves coming from the tiny human being. Alternately calming and frothing, Kohakugawa called jealously to the priestess of its spirit. Amaterasu had many servants willing to lose themselves to her, and Nigihayami Kohakunushi had no wish to allow his treasure to slip away. Chihiro was too far gone to hear the river's call though, lost in the sea beyond the fabric of reality.

Minutes passed on, marching to the beat set by the musician. The pair continued their chant until at the last they were released by Life and Love, dashed upon the shores of everyday life, driftwood cast upon the beach. Their eyes shone with health and excitement, and the two shared secret smiles before separating to attend their differentiated chores.

The woman blown across the sea to the island of Hokkaido had left to attend the morning breakfast, ever mindful of the scheduled cook's tendency to snack on her bacon. Dragons had large appetites after all, and the one she was bound to certainly was no exception.

The woman who was a native to this island of towering mountains, rushing streams, and reaching trees repaired temporarily to the kitchen as well. The river, impatient for his daily taste of the woman set aside for him, sighed after the retreating form as she once more disappeared from his view. As she listened to the fading murmurs, the priestess focused on what she would bring to her guardian spirit for the morning offering. He primarily ate rice and fish, although he was also partial to various fruits. To her delight, Ryu had already set up a tray with a variety of foods. The prankster had also included something else to her great exasperation.

"Ryu! Quit raiding my laundry hamper to offer Kohaku my worn bras!"

"Earlier you said to stay out of your underwear drawer unless putting away laundry. Do you know any other way to keep spirits from stealing bras?"

"But why would he want my bra?"

"It smells like you. We dragons operate on scent after all, and poor Haku has so much business that keeps him away from you."

Chihiro could only give Ryu a deadpan gaze, embarrassed and exasperated to no end. Ryu on the other hand was quite pleased with his work. He had to keep these humans on their toes, as they were quite prone to settling into dull routine. Besides, he had found her new contraband edibles stash in her laundry hamper.

"Somehow, dragon habits are very confusing."

"So are human habits for us. What's your point?"

Chihiro knew better than to continue the conversation here. Instead she took the actual offering after stuffing the bra into a pocket, then gracefully made her way to the river. Sometimes, it seemed like his personal mission in life was to be annoying, and the dragon did it well. A visit to the river would calm her.

Or so she thought.

Today's shore conditions were more conducive to allowing close approach to the water than yesterday's. However, the waters seemed rather agitated to the priestess this morning. She could never remember seeing them this moody in fact. Normally they would calm at her approach, but as she came closer the river ran swifter and the wavelets upon the surface developed whitecaps even without the breeze.

Carefully making her way down to the very edge of the water, the human wondered what could be bothering her river so badly. If a river could glare, it certainly felt like it was glaring now. Did she do something wrong?

Indeed, the river truly was glaring. Every morning the river's priestess danced and sang for the sun, offering up sweet incenses and brilliant smiles. It was rare that she danced for him, and when he heard her sing by his banks, she was usually going about her chores. He appreciated the food offerings, but was it too much to ask for a dance or a song just for him? It would be difficult to dance by the river in the winter, but he did have a worship hall, where there was plenty of room for her to dance before his presence!

"I bid you good morning Nigihayami Kohakunushi-sama. Forgive this one for asking, but is something troubling you my lord?"

So she was using the ultra-formal form of addressing him now? She was promised as his consort and she still insisted on speaking so formally, even after she spent the night defending her? Did she truly want to know what was bothering him, or was she only being polite?

Since all that the woman could pick up from the river's spirit was agitation, Chihiro was still bewildered as she set out the morning offering. What was he wanting, and just how did he expect her to do his bidding if he didn't tell her what he wanted?

"Did I do something wrong?"

The innocent question only served to rile up the river further. Of course she had done something wrong! She paid more to the sun kami than to her own kami, giving to the Sun singing, dancing and such. What did he get? Food, and then some incense and more food when he extended blessings for people he would probably never see or speak with. If he didn't love his priestess so much, then he would consider going on strike and just attending his river.

Well, it was obvious to Chihiro by now that she had to have done something since she was getting the cold shoulder from a river. Every word she said just seemed to stir him up more. Was he suffering from male PMS or something? Did Ten play another joke? Maybe Kumiro or Ryu said something again? Were the stars in the wrong position for this tribute? Was it breeding season, and he couldn't chase down a female?

Whatever it was, it had to be quite bad, because his water was starting to look a little muddy, like he was getting ready to flood or something similar.

Oh crud. He was really working himself up. A bit of food wasn't going to satisfy him today.

"Haku, I don't know what your problem is, but I can't help you if you don't tell me what is wrong!"

Now she was going to talk to him like he was her pup? Whom did she think she was? Wasn't it perfectly obvious what his problem was? She was neglecting him, and after all he had done for her!

By now, the waters had already claimed the morning offering, which currently was sitting untouched on Haku's desk. He had no interest in food right now, and the exasperated tone his priestess had used had stung more than just a little.

"Haku, please tell me how I can help you."

Chihiro had been overwhelmed by feelings of hurt rising like vapors from the near raging waters, and had no idea what to do. It reminded her how sometimes Ryu would just go into an inexplicable foul mood and BlowingWind would have to coax him out of it. The problem was that she had never told Chihiro just how she would calm him down or why he got into the state in the first place, and whatever it was she did behind closed doors. Grasping at straws, the young woman put a hand in the cold water, shocking the spirit with the unexpected contact.

"Did the offering displease you?"

His little pearl was near crying with her confusion, and although he was very much enjoying the contact, Haku was afraid that she would become ill if she kept her hand in his waters for too much longer on such a cold morning.

'Look at what you did now Haku.'  
(Nushi! When did you wake up?)  
'When Chihiro touched our water.'

Now the priestess felt utter exasperation roiling in the waters, which only threw her into more confusion. Believing it was aimed at her instead of her kami talking to himself, the restrained tears finally began a slow descent, floating down her face like snowflakes.

"I don't understand what you want Haku. I'm just a human."

'You idiot! You made her cry! Bad Haku! Bad, bad, bad! You shameful Aramitama. What is your problem today?'  
(She pays more attention to the sun than to us. I am jealous.)  
'You are always jealous and possessive, but you've never nearly caused a flood over it before. What set it off this time?'  
(She was dancing and singing for Amaterasu. You know how many people dance and sing for her all over, and her shrine is the grandest! Not even our own priestess sings for us, much less dances.)

Nushi could see his Aramitama's point. He had never noticed that they had not been danced for in the mornings, and Chihiro was a wonderful dancer. It would be nice to watch her twirl and undulate, and to hear her voice raised in song just for him. He was starting to feel a little cheated himself, but it certainly wasn't anything to throw a tantrum about. After all, it was only right that she gave thanks to the sun in her own way, as the sun brought life.

'Did you tell her that we would like a dance and song?'

Up above the surface, the priestess was now even more confused as the river surface suddenly became very still, as if it were considering something. However, the raised waters did not drop their level, and the currents ran just as swift.

'Boy I hope I said the right thing to him. What is his problem this morning? Is he sick? Haku is so confusing.'

(No, I was too busy fuming about it Nushi.)

It was exactly as the Nigimitama had thought. Great, now he had to clean up after his Aramitama's temper yet again. It was really getting old.

This whole exchange down at the river had taken quite a while, and the others had now come down to find out what was taking so long. So Ryu and BlowingWind had arrived at just the right time to hear Chihiro's question to the jealous river.

"Haku, what else do you want from me? How am I supposed to keep you happy if you just grumble and don't tell me why?"

"Oh dear lord! Chihiro! Are you ok?"

"Down boy! I can sympathize with you, but seriously! Down in all meanings of the word."

As BlowingWind was asking Chihiro repeatedly if she was unharmed, the Shaman had already pulled the priestess away from the river that she served. The woman was pounding rhythmically on Chihiro's back as if to make sure that she was completely seated in her body. While that was going on, Ryu kept talking to the river, apparently trying to reason with the riled river.

At length, Chihiro was escorted back to the living quarters while continually going on about how she needed to find out what was bothering Haku. It was a while before Ryu came back, during which everyone else ate breakfast and Kumiro absolutely refused to leave Chihiro's side. She had no idea what was going on, and it really irked her that no one would let her leave the building to go find out what was wrong.

Finally, a very irritated Ryu stalked into the living quarters long enough to bark at his own Miko.

"Wind! I will expect you before noon. Meanwhile, you will explain to Chihiro how to placate Haku when he gets into that state again, as it will happen again now that it already has. Apparently, he has become jealous, and his Aramitama thinks that Chihiro is going to run off to Ise because she does not dance for him."

With that, the dragon prowled back to the room that he shared with BlowingWind while muttering about floods and self-imposed deprivation and how now he had to calm down before he started an unauthorized eruption, not even bothering going and eating what the others had saved for his breakfast. The humans that had been left in the wake of the peeved kami could swear that they saw smoke curling from his ears, and maybe even the flickering of a flame or two.

BlowingWind heaved a sigh as she massaged her head, motioning Chihiro to follow her to a more private place.

"I hope he doesn't burn anything while he's waiting again. Dragon kami need Miko manuals or something to just pass out to the ones they choose for this. Come on Chi, this may take a while."

As the women walked down the hallway, no doubt bound for Chihiro's office, this left the two human males to puzzle.

"Do you think he wants Chihiro as a virgin sacrifice, sir?"

"I have no idea Kumiro. I've never known him to be jealous. Enraged I have seen once, but never jealous."

"Was Ryu saying something about floods?"

"Yes. Look at that river! He's risen a whole foot in this season! He'd better drop back down before the news gets wind of this."

"Wow. I think we should clean the store rooms today instead of doing blessings."

"Good idea."


	9. Placating a Simmering Volcano and River

Arms of the Kohakugawa

Chapter 9: Placating A Simmering Volcano and River

By LadyRainStarDragon

I do not own Spirited Away, Haku, Chihiro, or her parents. They are the intellectual property of Hayao Miyazaki. I was just inspired by his characters and so this and other works have been birthed.

* * *

BlowingWind was now throughly exasperated. She had spent the past few hours trying to convince Chihiro that the river considered her his. The conversation had gone something like this, looped back on itself several times with frantic gestures made by BlowingWind.

"Chihiro, you belong to him. You are his."

"Yes. I am his Nisou. I even agreed to be his years ago. So what does that have to do with the minor flood?"

"No. I mean his. Like _his_ his."

"What?"

"Like, if he were to nibble on your ear, you are supposed to whine and push backwards into him and let him take control."

"What? Why would he nibble on my ear?"

Needless to say, several other attempts had brought both of them to deep magenta blushes. BlowingWind wasn't about to just out and say for her to lay down and feed her dragon. She had hangups of her own about that. At least Ryu had found out what the temper tantrum had been about though. Unfortunately, now he was in a pissy mood and she had to feed her own dragon.

"Because it's tasty apparently. Do I look like a dragon? Do I know how a dragon thinks? No! I have troubles understanding my own mat- master . . . yeah . . . that's it. Master. Look. Just go do a dance for the dragon who is currently green-eyed because of jealousy. He likes it when you rub his chin . . . maybe you should do that too. Cuddle with the statue. Whine a bit like a puppy does to a parent. Bat your big eyes and coo for him a bit and watch him melt."

". . . . . Why?"

"Haku, no matter how human he appears to us when he isn't all hairy and scaly, is a dragon. They are different, sort of like wolves in some ways, like cats in others, and sometimes they are like big slobbery dogs. I've found this out first hand . . . and I'm still learning new stuff every day."

By now, it was past noon and neither had noticed as Time picked up the hem of his oversized robe and sprinted away with his scythe like the demons of Hades were after him. BlowingWind was alerted to her tardiness by a huge wave of many deep and dark emotions that she didn't even know the names of. She was going to be in so much trouble.

"Oh holy pumice. I'm ash! I'm late!"

With those deep and intellectual words, BlowingWind ran from the room with visions of her bras and underwear becoming ashes in her metal garbage can. He never had liked the thought of her wearing underwear. Dragon women didn't use them, so he saw no reason for his mate to do so either. Chihiro knew nothing of what was running through her friend's head, blinking in surprise at the sudden and panicked departure.

"Is she afraid he's going to do something stupid?"

Chihiro was left holding her aching head and ignoring the little voice that was telling her that BlowingWind was right. Walking with her mind lost somewhere in the dreaded land of confusion, Chihiro did not notice that as she walked down the hall, Kumiro and Koji had not had the time to hide themselves from where they had been eavesdropping. Allowing her feet to assist her, the priestess followed a very impatient tug.

* * *

BlowingWind's feet made a drum out of the wooden floor of the hallways as she dashed down them. Her heart rode in her throat and her blood flashed through its courses, the sounds of her body's drumming no doubt carrying before her to the very displeased dragon sulking in their den.

Skidding to a stop before their door with a long unused yet highly practiced ease, her uniform whirled around her slender frame. As the robes and her short hair settled, she looked every inch like a blowing wind, yet it did little to appease the waves pouring out of the darkened room. The door gaped open, simulating for her a familiar cavern, and not even a speck of light came through their window to add its light to the room. Full of trepidation and yet resolving not to show it, the young shaman entered the room she shared with her 'scaled coyote.'

With a resounding boom that shook the very timbers of the house, the door was slammed shut behind her. She was stranded in the middle of the stewing dark, listening to her kami pacing restlessly around her like a ravenous wolf. His measured footsteps firm and calculated, she could barely hear his feet naturally padding softly. It was his carefully controlled breath that she heard the loudest, barely held back pants like a dog about to attack. The rustle of his clothes quieted bit by bit, and finally nothing more was heard of those.

A few times he paced near enough to raise the hairs on her body, his rich earthy smell slowly permeating the room. It occurred to her that she was smelling him far better than she usually did, and she wondered if he could spray his scent around like a cat. Once she felt the stir of his breath, causing her to gasp in surprise.

She was tired of standing still and being the mouse for her oversized cat and had begun to move to face where the breath had been when a deep growl froze her in her tracks. In shock, she remained still, the sound of a delicate sniffing revealing that he had moved to another location already.

Her mother's words from years ago echoed dully in her head, with all of the pain and heartbreak that had laced the woman's voice that day by the lake as a child. "Never trust a dragon."

"I heard that. You are late My Treasure."

His voice was hard and ungiving, brooking no excuse. She had forgotten that he could hear her strong thoughts and memories if she did not cloak them. He had heard hers ever since the day he had first stolen a kiss from her, binding her to him in a tentative courtship dance with his rampant desire and frustration for her mental health in that forest around the base of Mt. Fuji.

"I'm sorry. I did not notice the time and was having difficulty helping her understand."

"It is no excuse."

"I know. I can only apologize Mate-to-be."

Carefully lowering her head in what she had learned was the correct position for chastisement, BlowingWind still prickled at the unsettling sensation of being trapped in the dark with such a mysterious and powerful creature. His presence withdrew to their futon with a slightly satisfied sound, the mattress rustling a little as he seated himself upon it waiting for the expected performance.

"Proceed then."

The light was still off, and she had never danced in the dark before. It wasn't that she couldn't dance, it was just that she was afraid to fall. The floor was hard, and all the other times she had danced for his pleasure the light had been on.

"I can not see, my Lord."

"I can see perfectly well. You never need to see when you dance for the sun goddess, with your eyes closed the way you so often do. Why is it any different for the one you have promised yourself to?"

This wasn't the Ryu she knew, she was sure of it now from the whole set up. Ryu was teasing her in an odd way, testing her. His occasional audible sniff as he tasted the air of this lair reminded her of the way he would first smell at her the first several months of nights. The Ryu she knew would have been sitting with the lights on and furiously torching her undergarments as he waited for her. Here was a part that she had not experienced yet, and if her intuition was correct she knew why she had stopped hearing the rustling of fabric. In a way, it frightened her. Would this Ryu remember her human frailties, or the fact that she still knew very little about his customs and the position of women in his society?

"In the light, I have the option of opening my eyes to keep from falling. In the dark, even with them open I can easily trip. You know that I enjoy dancing for you."

"Yet you still refuse to perform the dance I have been trying to convince you to do for slightly over five years now."

Hurt warred with anger and frustration in the dark as it wrapped around the woman, and she could feel how deeply it pained him that his mate still spurned their physical marriage. As long as she was still virgin, the Mating was not complete, and though she called him Mate to ease his ego he wanted more. For his protection though, it was all she had to give right now. In her weakness, she had succumbed to the cries of her heart and uttered the fateful words that promised her to him. Now, she was his, and the consummation of the promise would permanently seal his fate unbeknownst to him.

"There are things that you don't know about me, Ryu, dangerous things that frighten me. I lost him, I am afraid to lose you."

Serpentine hisses issued from his throat as he sprang to his feet, landing mere inches away from her. Currently she thought he was somewhere in between transformations, the dry clinks of his small scales heard as he trembled to keep his control. In the dark, she knew that he was boring through her eyes, searching the answers from the very depths of her soul where she kept them shrouded in eternal mist below a raging waterfall where the winds always blew high through poplar and pine trees. It was a place she seldom ventured, guarded over as it was by her darker side, that being of repressed emotion and memory.

"Him. Always it is Him. I love you too much Ryu. I can't let it happen to you Ryu. I am afraid. Every time it can always be traced back to whomever it was you loved before me. I am here BlowingWind, you gave yourself to me when you accepted my scale, and I will always be here. I am not this 'Him' that you still mourn for, who you still shed tears for in your dreams. I am here, alive, and waiting for you to fulfill a promise."

"Do you doubt my loyalty Ryu? Taste of me then if you need to."

His eyes had begun to glow with the strength of his emotions, an earthly red from the center of the planet itself. She could see them plainly, and the room began to be visible from his internal light. There was no other warning what he was going to take from her, and in an instant he was devouring her lips like a starved animal. The tumult of his feelings for her raged through her delicate and tiny body, flowing through her as it sought to break down whatever barrier the last of her secrets cowered behind.

Her mind's eye was filled with a boiling river of magma rising and growing, roiling with his emotions. His heated body burned where he touched her, even through her robes as he verified for himself where her loyalties lay. He was unable to gain access to her deepest secrets, but at least he managed to find the confirmation that she was still his possession.

After an eternity, he gave her mouth back. Sometime during the episode, he had drawn blood with his fierceness. The copper only made him want more. In the confusion, the pair had begun a dance for two, their feet gliding over the pine in a waltz. It had been long since they had done this, but she followed where he led her, spiraling and twirling as he wished for her to. Her own clothing began to slip out of place, but she had become so caught up that she no longer noticed.

A moment longer, and BlowingWind was spinning on her own, eyes shut as the dance took her over and transformed to something else. Words bubbled softly from her lips, giving birth to a new song for the mighty volcano dragon. Predictably, the performance was cut short when she tripped over his discarded haori, landing squarely in his arms and startled out of her offering.

He had her on the bed in less than a heartbeat, this time working at her neck and ear. No matter how much he wanted her most precious gift, she had to be consenting at the time of her unsealing. He wanted everything she had, and if he were to rip it away, he would only taste her completeness once. Death was possible for her as well as for him, but what terrified him the most was that her soul would slip away from him, to reincarnate and love another while he would remember his crime for the rest of his incarnation and possibly recurrent ones.

"R-ryu!"

A turquoise flame burst up from her heart as something inside of herself clicked into place. Her body was unable to fight the onslaught any longer and her mind had just checked out from his instinctual ministrations. When one's marked mate is fertile is not the best time to have a fight. As her teeth sank into his neck to hold back a moan, it was at this point that one formerly checked out Nigimitama emerged from a piece of granite that he was using as a gateway for travel to his own territory.

The other part of himself had come back at a breakneck pace, leaving paperwork to scatter all over his office under Mount Fuji when the new activity of his elemental self came to his attention. He had thought that he would be safe to leave his Aramitama alone for a day to complete some much needed work that he had been notified of by a runner. Obviously, he had been wrong.

Take pulled Ryu away from the tiny human that they had found themselves bonded to with a simple kiss that had been meant to shock the woman back to her senses that day so long ago. The blood that BlowingWind had ingested during her own instinctual response had apparently had a sedative effect, and she slipped into sleep before the magma spirit's eyes.

"Ryu, just what did you just do?"

Sense apparently was finally filtering back into the head of the wayward Aramitama gazing down on BlowingWind with his own helping of shock. He had been angry that he had not been danced for in the past several weeks, that he could remember clearly. Then she had been late. He had decided that he would punish her in a slightly different way than usual for tardiness. It was shortly after she had walked in and he had slammed the door that things had gotten very fuzzy.

"I'm not sure Take."

"You weren't egging her into egging were you?"

"Um . . ."

"Honestly! I leave you behind to keep an eye on her for six hours, and have to come running because you don't want to accept a human's need for space. She isn't like our kind where once we find the entity with an appealing scent signature we throw ourselves into a commitment."

"But over five years?"

"I agree that's a little long too, but what can we do? You don't want to take her when she's not ready."

"Not even just a little taste from a different fountain?"

"NO. Besides, how are you going to get permission if she's still in enough confusion for our blood to put her to sleep? Why don't you go and do the paperwork, and I will watch her."

"But."

"Go."

A still confused and highly disappointed Aramitama conjured his proper robes before going over to the shelf to touch his portal to his home. Ryu did not like leaving his BlowingWind behind, even if it was only with another aspect of himself. The influentially weaker of the two for once stayed with the woman while his more active half went to work out his frustrations on paper work and then inspecting his lands for the rest of the day. Take's lips quirked upward in a smile before pressing a chaste kiss to the woman's forehead.

"Whatever I did, I'm sure I'm going to hear all about it when you wake back up. What will it be this time Love? The frying pan or a rolled up newspaper you chastise me with for overstepping your boundaries?"

A blue glow formed around the lamp on the bedside table just a moment before it lifted and crashed over Take's head. The errant portion of the Shaman's spirit hovered angrily in front of its kami before entering back into its host. Deciding that it would be better to bring his lovely some light, he went to open the curtains. The light caused his red and yellow robes to blaze, and it illumed the woman enough to see a very dissatisfied look upon her face.

"It seems that I can never do right by you, does it dear. I hold back to much while Ryu pushes you too far for your comfort. You need to move on soon though Ai. I can't hold him back forever, and he is always holding me inside my own mind except for work."

* * *

Chihiro had ventured timidly into the Holy of Holies after casting yet another confused eye over her guardian spirit's physical body. The waters had not risen any higher, yet they were very slow in retreating to their normal level. Once inside the darkened chamber, the presence gathered in the numinous surrounding was oppressively heavy. It was as if water had become lead and then vaporized to hang in the air, wishing only to hold the person down and hold it there forever.

"Haku, I am not going to pretend that I understand just what is going on. You are far older than I and so probably have very different notions on how I should act, dress, and think. I can't help that, I can only be who I am. If you have a problem, then you need to tell me. Perhaps I will change my ways and perhaps not. BlowingWind says that you are jealous and wish for me to dance for you like I dance for the sun in the morning. Is this so?"

Silence hung in the air like mist on a rainy morning, drifting uneasily about the room. If the room had been a little brighter, perhaps her mind would have tricked her by causing her to believe that the statue had puffed out and was slowly shrinking back to a normal size. However, her eyes had still not adjusted to the deep gloom and she was not gifted with the ability to see in the dark. Yet, there was some impression that the remarks had struck near where they needed to.

Chihiro was unused to dancing without music, and yet there was a beat that she felt in her very bones. A sad and lonely feeling bathed her, accompanied by an impression of great exasperation as if her friend had too much on his plate to worry about. As a river spirit, not only was he the river but he was responsible for its duties and adhering to protocol set out by the Great River for all other river spirits. In turn, he was also responsible to the Sea King, and who knew what else.

"Allow me to entertain you for a moment, Nigihayami Kohakunushi."

As the River Maiden allowed herself to fall into another trance, her body began to move on its own, following and expressing her soul's feelings. Prayer came in many forms, and this one was familiar to her even if she was not used to dancing for those she knew personally. This humble offering was accepted by the kami who was so near and yet so far away, and he was reminded once more of human frailty as his mind followed the dance of her body and soul.

* * *

I pulled this off of Aristotle's hard drive. No longer a computer of its own, may it live long as a portable storage device. Chapter 37 of Rivers Keep Flowing should be ready either tomorrow or the next couple of days.


	10. Why Do I Stay?

Arms of the Kohakugawa

Chapter 10: Why Do I Stay?

By LadyRainStarDragon

I do not own Spirited Away, Haku, Chihiro, or her parents. They are the intellectual property of Hayao Miyazaki. I was just inspired by his characters and so this and other works have been birthed.

Starting out with Chihiro, we move to Ryu's point of view of life at Kohakugawa Shrine.

-----

_Last Chapter:_

_Chihiro had ventured timidly into the Holy of Holies after casting yet another confused eye over her guardian spirit's physical body. The waters had not risen any higher, yet they were very slow in retreating to their normal level. Once inside the darkened chamber, the presence gathered in the numinous surrounding was oppressively heavy. It was as if water had become lead and then vaporized to hang in the air, wishing only to hold the person down and hold it there forever. _

"_Haku, I am not going to pretend that I understand just what is going on. You are far older than I and so probably have very different notions on how I should act, dress, and think. I can't help that, I can only be who I am. If you have a problem, then you need to tell me. Perhaps I will change my ways and perhaps not. BlowingWind says that you are jealous and wish for me to dance for you like I dance for the sun in the morning. Is this so?"_

_Silence hung in the air like mist on a rainy morning, drifting uneasily about the room. If the room had been a little brighter, perhaps her mind would have tricked her by causing her to believe that the statue had puffed out and was slowly shrinking back to a normal size. However, her eyes had still not adjusted to the deep gloom and she was not gifted with the ability to see in the dark. Yet, there was some impression that the remarks had struck near where they needed to._

_Chihiro was unused to dancing without music, and yet there was a beat that she felt in her very bones. A sad and lonely feeling bathed her, accompanied by an impression of great exasperation as if her friend had too much on his plate to worry about. As a river spirit, not only was he the river but he was responsible for its duties and adhering to protocol set out by the Great River for all other river spirits. In turn, he was also responsible to the Sea King, and who knew what else._

"_Allow me to entertain you for a moment, Nigihayami Kohakunushi."_

_As the River Maiden allowed herself to fall into another trance, her body began to move on its own, following and expressing her soul's feelings. Prayer came in many forms, and this one was familiar to her even if she was not used to dancing for those she knew personally. This humble offering was accepted by the kami who was so near and yet so far away, and he was reminded once more of human frailty as his mind followed the dance of her body and soul._

---

Slowly the world began to filter back into Chihiro's awareness. Crickets were chirping outside of the small building, and the river danced happily by once more. The air was cool, so night had to have fallen sometime after she had given herself over as the placating offering. Her clothes were damp, and it further drove in the chill.

"How long was I out? What happened? And why am I hearing crickets in winter?"

A stray bit of light from the moon reflected in the open door, giving the statue of her river dragon an almost guilty look. However it seemed quite satisfied as well, as if it had partaken of a meal for the first time in a long time.

"I wish you would tell me what's going on Haku, and come back more often."

Chihiro's thoughts drifted back to the time that she had achieved the rank of Nisou, remembering the sense of pride that she had felt that day. The pride had not been her own though, but some trickle effect from her kami.

He had not been physically present, of course. It seemed he never was anymore. Even the occasional puppet of his wandering the grounds had become rare, although the ghostly music of his flute would call to her from time to time. Once again the sounds drifted mournfully over the valley, and she abandoned the idea of leaving the simple hut for the night. Lying down at the feet of the statue, she felt someone cover her again with a blanket.

"Sleep Takara Shinju, it is too cold for you to go outside like that."

Giving up the fight, she slipped into sleep and dreams.

Summertime was all around her, and the scent of the grass was heavy as she walked hand in hand with Haku beside his river, pausing every now and then to share a short kiss as she allowed her kami to take what he would of her. Over the course of time though, things began to go very differently, and to get far more personal. It was all a dream though, and she allowed it, craving the attention she would never get from him in waking life.

----

Ryu's eyes opened and he growled at the disturbance. Once more the fool he called his friend was mourning his self imposed exile and seducing his chosen bride with flute music. At first, it had been sweet, and Ryu had thought about trying something similar to further his own relationship.

"Now its just damn annoying."

A warm body stirred next to him and burrowed farther into his chest as she sought after his warmth. Looking down at her with his warm eyes, he felt the protective fire stir within him again.

"Just when did this happen? Usually you make me sleep sitting up my Wind."

He was about to ignore the melodious pollution filling the night air with its ghostly song and settle down to enjoy a much desired snuggle that he had been waiting months to get again, when he remembered the little human that had been lured to the main hall.

"I don't believe this. I doubt he has the decency to hold her and warm her on a night like this too. Still too worried about keeping her pure and virgin, although she's made her choice whether either of them know it."

Ryu's grumbling rumbled his chest, and Wind snuggled deeper into him, the top of her outfit beginning to gape open. With a blush he closed it back up, after several moments of feasting. She reacted to him in her sleep, her own blush and heavy scent nearly trapping him. He buried his nose in her neck for a few moments, savoring her smell and sorely tempted to search her clothing for the anti-conception ofuda she carried somewhere.

"I'm glad that Ten only taught you how to do an anti-conception charm, instead of the anti-fertility charm you had been begging him for. Now if only you would let me reap its benefits too."

She squirmed closer to him, although he could feel the frown on her face. Her scent was getting too strong, and his control threatened to break. The cursed music wasfloating in again, and for once, Ryu was glad of it.

"I have to go rescue Chihiro, he's sure to either be too much for her or accidentally bring her out. I'll be back as soon as I can."

He kissed the top of her head and tried to stand, but it was a feat to disentangle himself from her grasp.

"For someone who tries to kill me when I get fresh, you certainly don't want to let me go at night. I would have my ego stroked a little if it wasn't so blasted cold right now."

Wind moved in her sleep where he had been laying, snuggling with his pillow and sniffing loudly. Meanwhile, Ryu pulled on some warm pants and a long sleeved shirt showing a rather happy looking dragon licking a beautiful woman. He was expecting to loose it any day now, but if so then he would just order a new one. Besides, it helped to remind his shaman what she was supposed to do for him.

"Ok, maybe you do want me more than you are ready to admit to either of us."

Smirking at the image of BlowingWind getting cuddly with his pillow, he left their den to bring the resident Nisou back into the heated shrine home. The main hall had no heat, unless Haku was currently ravishing her like he should. Even covering her with a blanket probably wouldn't be enough for the clear and cold night.

Pausing at the linen closet, Ryu rummaged around until he found a thick down comforter to wrap the no doubt sleeping priestess in for when he carried her to her proper bed. Armed now with his fluffy weapon, he braved the winter night and made his way to the honden through the snow. The stars shone overhead, and the moon reflected off of the mirror of the river as he danced to the sea.

"Yeah, I bet I know why you're dancing. You got farther than I did, didn't you? You wet snake."

The river burbled indignantly in reply, but Ryu continued on.

"I bet you soaked her too, couldn't even remember to take her clothes completely off if you were going to eat. And then I'll bet that you just retucked and retied everything so that she wouldn't know what you did. That's pretty cowardly. At least mine knows I'm trying to get her maidenhead. Tries to maim me, but at least she knows."

The river sighed, acknowledging that Ryu was right and he was a big chicken.

"That's right. You're a super chicken Haku. Not even the chickens on chicken farms in America are as big a chicken as you, you big chicken."

Ryu shook his head after replying to the river's silent refrain, then entered the open door of the main hall. Chihiro was fast asleep at the feet of the silver statue as its eyes gleamed in the reflected light. Her dark hair hide her face, put it was probably still flushed from what she had given her dragon to drink.

"At least you covered her up. If you visited her more often, you wouldn't have your little problem. You'd feel better fed too."

Ryu quickly crossed the room and wrapped her with the blanket he had brought as well, then hefted her up and made his way back to the living quarters.

"You've got to be more careful Haku, you never know if she is going to conceive with as many spells as you've got on her, and that's she's got on herself. Probably nothing to worry about, but things could still be pretty hit and miss if you both lost concentration."

With all the skill that comes from great practice, he had tucked her into her bed, refusing to change her clothes and get himself in trouble and Chihiro embarrassed. Instead, he turned up the small space heater and went to his own room.

Sliding into his bed after the proper preparations, Ryu was again pleasantly surprised when not only was he actually allowed into their futon, but she placed her head on his chest. It was at times like this that he remembered why he did not whisk his BlowingWind away back to his hideaway in the forests of Fuji.

"You will never know what I put up with for you."

BlowingWind sighed and snuggled in deeper to her personal heater, enjoying dreams of seeing Chihiro and Haku finally married.


End file.
